UPDATE: Santa Ana winds blow through SCV

Adds details of damage in other areas

A Santa Ana wind warning went into effect in the Santa Clarita Valley this morning and could last until 3 p.m. Saturday, National Weather Service officials reported.

“It’s blowing the doors to our front office open,” California Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeff Furman said from the local CHP station in Castaic.

CHP officers assigned to the station issued a wind warning just before 7:30 a.m.

“Everyone should be mindful of high-profile vehicle on the road,” Furman said.

Specifically, gusty cross winds could pose problems for drivers in the Newhall Pass area, the weather service said.

The strongest winds are forecast to blow across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and SCV residents should expect northeast winds of 20 mph to 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph to last through Saturday afternoon, the weather service said.

While winds had yet to make local sheriff’s deputies any busier by late morning, they were still poised to respond to wind-related emergencies, officials said.

“Our biggest concern is the same as the Fire Department’s — the fire danger,” sheriff’s Sgt. Rich Nagler said. Outside of the SCV, winds blew over a big-rig and knocked down utility lines on freeways east of Los Angeles.

California Department of Transportation spokeswoman Terry Kasinga said a tractor-trailer rig flipped on its side at about 10 a.m. Friday, blocking two lanes of westbound Interstate 210 near I-15 below the Cajon Pass.

In Fontana, winds to 50 mph blew down utility wires over westbound I-10. Kasinga said the lines are scraping the tops of big-rigs and traffic is slowing to a standstill at times.